Graham Spry
Encyclopedia
Graham Spry, CC
(February 20, 1900 - November 24, 1983) was a Canadian
broadcasting pioneer, business executive, diplomat and socialist. He was the husband of Irene Spry
and father of Robin Spry
.
, Ontario
. While a student at the University of Manitoba
Spry became an editorial writer at the Manitoba Free Press, where he was mentored by editor and Canadian nationalist John W. Dafoe. He also edited the student newspaper, the Manitoban. He then studied history at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar
. Upon his return to Canada, he became Secretary of the Canadian Clubs, and organized a nation-wide broadcast to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Canadian Confederation
. The accomplishment, achieved despite the lack of a national radio network, convinced Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King
to appoint the Aird Commission
on Radio Broadcasting, a royal commission
which recommended the creation of a national broadcaster.
Following the defeat of King's government Spry and Alan Plaunt
formed the Canadian Radio League
to rally support behind the Aird Commission's recommendation, arguing that it amounted to a choice between two alternatives, "the State or the United States". The League mobilized public opinion in both English- and French-speaking regions of Canada, and convinced the Conservative government of R.B. Bennett to form the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
, which later became the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
.
A socialist, Spry cofounded the League for Social Reconstruction
(LSR), contributed to the writing of the Regina Manifesto
, and purchased both the Farmer's Sun (publication of the United Farmers of Ontario
), renamed the New Commonwealth, and the Canadian Forum
to propagate the LSR's views. He served as vice president of the Ontario Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
(CCF) from 1934 to 1936. He was the first national Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
candidate in Ontario, running in the 24 September 1934 by-election in Toronto East
. He ran again for the National CCF in the 1935 general election
, this time in the newly created roadview (electoral district)Broadview electoral district. He lost on both occasions to Conservative Tommy Church.
During the Spanish Civil War
Spry helped organize the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
that fought on the Republican
side.
In 1938, Spry married Irene Mary Biss
. Unable to find work in Canada because of his socialist convictions, however, Spry accepted a job offer from an old Oxford friend and served as a British-based executive for Standard Oil
from 1940 to 1946, managing subsidiaries operating in the Middle East
and elsewhere. From 1942 to 1945, he also served as personal assistant to Sir Stafford Cripps
, a Labour
minister in the wartime
British cabinet
, and travelled with Cripps to India. After the war, Spry was named agent-general of Tommy Douglas
's CCF government
in London representing the province of Saskatchewan
from 1946 to 1968 in Britain, including responsibility for Europe and the Middle East.
Spry played a crucial role during the 1962 Saskatchewan Doctors' Strike
against Medicare
by recruiting British doctors to move to the province. In 1968 he reactivated his involvement with broadcasting, founding the Canadian Broadcasting League over which he presided until 1973. In 1970, Spry reputedly turned down Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
's offer of a Senate
seat. That same year, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada
. Graham Spry died in Ottawa on November 24, 1983.
A federal government building dedicated in the name of Graham Spry is located at 250 Lanark Avenue in Ottawa. It houses several directorates of Health Canada
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(February 20, 1900 - November 24, 1983) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
broadcasting pioneer, business executive, diplomat and socialist. He was the husband of Irene Spry
Irene Spry
Irene Mary Spry, OC was an economic historian and social democrat awarded two honorary doctorates and named to the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian intellectual and public life.-Early years:The daughter of Evan Ebenezer Biss, Inspector of Schools in the Colonial and Indian Service,...
and father of Robin Spry
Robin Spry
Robin Spry was a Canadian filmmaker and television producer best known for his documentary film Action: The October Crisis of 1970 about Quebec's October Crisis.-Profile:...
.
Profile
Graham Spry was born in St. ThomasSt. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas is a city in southern , Ontario, Canada. It is the seat for Elgin County and gained its city charter on March 4, 1881.-History:...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. While a student at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
Spry became an editorial writer at the Manitoba Free Press, where he was mentored by editor and Canadian nationalist John W. Dafoe. He also edited the student newspaper, the Manitoban. He then studied history at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
. Upon his return to Canada, he became Secretary of the Canadian Clubs, and organized a nation-wide broadcast to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
. The accomplishment, achieved despite the lack of a national radio network, convinced Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
to appoint the Aird Commission
Royal Commission on Radio Broadcasting
The Royal Commission on Radio Broadcasting, otherwise known as the Aird Commission, was chaired by John Aird and examined Canada's broadcasting industry. The report released its findings in 1929 when it concluded that Canada was in need of a publicly funded radio broadcast system...
on Radio Broadcasting, a royal commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
which recommended the creation of a national broadcaster.
Following the defeat of King's government Spry and Alan Plaunt
Alan Plaunt
Alan Butterworth Plaunt was a Canadian broadcasting pioneer, journalist and activist.The son of a wealthy lumber family, Plaunt attended the University of Toronto and University of Oxford and was a keen observer of the fledgling British Broadcasting Corporation while in Britain becoming a believer...
formed the Canadian Radio League
Canadian Radio League
The Canadian Radio League was a public pressure group led by Graham Spry and Alan Plaunt to mobilize support for the establishment of public broadcasting in Canada...
to rally support behind the Aird Commission's recommendation, arguing that it amounted to a choice between two alternatives, "the State or the United States". The League mobilized public opinion in both English- and French-speaking regions of Canada, and convinced the Conservative government of R.B. Bennett to form the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission
The Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission was Canada's first public broadcaster and the immediate precursor to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.-Origins:...
, which later became the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
.
A socialist, Spry cofounded the League for Social Reconstruction
League for Social Reconstruction
The League for Social Reconstruction was a circle of Canadian socialist intellectuals officially formed in 1932, though it had its beginnings during a camping retreat in 1931. These academics were advocating radical social and economic reforms and political education. Industrialization,...
(LSR), contributed to the writing of the Regina Manifesto
Regina Manifesto
The Regina Manifesto was the programme of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and was adopted at the first national convention of the CCF held in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1933. The primary goal of the "Regina Manifesto" was to eradicate the system of capitalism and replace it with a planned...
, and purchased both the Farmer's Sun (publication of the United Farmers of Ontario
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...
), renamed the New Commonwealth, and the Canadian Forum
Canadian Forum
The Canadian Forum was a left-wing literary, cultural and political publication and Canada's longest running continually published political magazine.It was founded in 1920 at the University of Toronto as a forum for political and cultural ideas...
to propagate the LSR's views. He served as vice president of the Ontario Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (Ontario Section)
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation – The Farmer-Labor Party of Ontario, or more informally and commonly known as The Ontario CCF, was a democratic socialist political party that existed from 1932 to 1961. It was the provincial wing of the National CCF. The party officially had no leader in...
(CCF) from 1934 to 1936. He was the first national Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
candidate in Ontario, running in the 24 September 1934 by-election in Toronto East
Toronto East
Toronto East was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1935. It was located in the city of Toronto in the province of Ontario. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867.East Toronto initially consisted of St. Lawrence, St. Davids and...
. He ran again for the National CCF in the 1935 general election
Canadian federal election, 1935
The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held on October 14, 1935 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 18th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of William Lyon Mackenzie King won a majority government, defeating Prime Minister R.B. Bennett's Conservative Party.The central...
, this time in the newly created roadview (electoral district)Broadview electoral district. He lost on both occasions to Conservative Tommy Church.
During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
Spry helped organize the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
The Mackenzie–Papineau Battalion or Mac-Paps were a battalion of Canadians who fought as part of the XV International Brigade on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. Except for France, no other country gave a greater proportion of its population as volunteers in Spain than Canada. The...
that fought on the Republican
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
side.
In 1938, Spry married Irene Mary Biss
Irene Spry
Irene Mary Spry, OC was an economic historian and social democrat awarded two honorary doctorates and named to the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian intellectual and public life.-Early years:The daughter of Evan Ebenezer Biss, Inspector of Schools in the Colonial and Indian Service,...
. Unable to find work in Canada because of his socialist convictions, however, Spry accepted a job offer from an old Oxford friend and served as a British-based executive for Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
from 1940 to 1946, managing subsidiaries operating in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and elsewhere. From 1942 to 1945, he also served as personal assistant to Sir Stafford Cripps
Stafford Cripps
Sir Richard Stafford Cripps was a British Labour politician of the first half of the 20th century. During World War II he served in a number of positions in the wartime coalition, including Ambassador to the Soviet Union and Minister of Aircraft Production...
, a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
minister in the wartime
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
British cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
, and travelled with Cripps to India. After the war, Spry was named agent-general of Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
's CCF government
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It currently forms the official opposition, but has been a dominant force in Saskatchewan politics since the 1940s...
in London representing the province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
from 1946 to 1968 in Britain, including responsibility for Europe and the Middle East.
Spry played a crucial role during the 1962 Saskatchewan Doctors' Strike
Saskatchewan Doctors' Strike
The 1962 Saskatchewan Doctors' Strike was a 23-day labour action exercised by medical doctors in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in an attempt to force the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation government of Saskatchewan to rescind its program of universal medical insurance...
against Medicare
Medicare (Canada)
Medicare is the unofficial name for Canada's publicly funded universal health insurance system. The formal terminology for the insurance system is provided by the Canada Health Act and the health insurance legislation of the individual provinces and territories.Under the terms of the Canada Health...
by recruiting British doctors to move to the province. In 1968 he reactivated his involvement with broadcasting, founding the Canadian Broadcasting League over which he presided until 1973. In 1970, Spry reputedly turned down Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
's offer of a Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
seat. That same year, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. Graham Spry died in Ottawa on November 24, 1983.
A federal government building dedicated in the name of Graham Spry is located at 250 Lanark Avenue in Ottawa. It houses several directorates of Health Canada
Health Canada
Health Canada is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health.The current Minister of Health is Leona Aglukkaq, a Conservative Member of Parliament appointed to the position by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.-Branches, regions and agencies:Health Canada...
.
Further reading
- Babe, Robert. (2000) "Graham Spry" in Canadian Communications Thought: Ten Foundational Writers. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-7949-0.
- McChesney, Robert W. (1999) "Graham Spry and the Future of Canadian Broadcasting", Canadian Journal of Communication 24(1).
External links
- http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-75-1631-11232/science_technology/early_radio-tv/clip41961 interview with Spry recounting the activities of the Canadian Radio LeagueCanadian Radio LeagueThe Canadian Radio League was a public pressure group led by Graham Spry and Alan Plaunt to mobilize support for the establishment of public broadcasting in Canada...
in establishing public broadcasting.] - Graham Spry Fund for Public Broadcasting
- Graham Spry Theatre (CBC Broadcasting Museum)